


bookstores and bloodlust

by ebonpyre



Category: Homestuck
Genre: (cause we need those two), Alternate Universe - Bookstore, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shop, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Bec - Freeform, F/F, Mutual Pining, Slow Burn, dumbass lesbians don't know how to flirt, kind of coffee shop au too?, more tags will be added, some violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-21
Updated: 2020-07-21
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:15:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,071
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25426753
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ebonpyre/pseuds/ebonpyre
Summary: (title may change)“Jade Harley, you are covered in blood.”Jade grimaced. “Yeah, it’s a long story…”or, vampire / coffee shop / bookstore jaderadia au because this ship needs more content.
Relationships: Jade Harley/Aradia Megido, Rose Lalonde/Kanaya Maryam (background)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 16





	1. prologue

**Author's Note:**

> vampires hell yeah

“You’ll love this one. It’s from way back in the nineteenth century.”

Jade looks down at the rather thick red book, then up at the girl sliding it across the counter to her. She takes it carefully with both hands. “What’s it about?”

Aradia returns her smile, tilting her head slightly. A lock of long, dark hair falls down over her right shoulder. “I don’t want to give too much away, but the protagonist sort of reminds me of you.” She brushes a finger over the top of the novel. “I’m a big fan of this author, Porrim Maryam. She’s one of those women who lived with a ‘close female friend’ for the rest of her life…”

Jade laughs lightly, slipping the book gently into her bag. “We both know what that really means.”

Aradia hums in agreement, turning away to brew a cup of coffee; Jade knew that the other girl knew her order by heart. She took a moment to look around the cozy bookstore that she was so familiar with.

Jade leisurely walked over to one of the many organized bookshelves. Aradia seemed to have gotten more books in since she last checked this corner, judging by the unfamiliar titles that were just  _ begging  _ to be explored.

A small name caught her eye on the spine of a faded blue book. Careful not to jostle the rest of the shelf, she slid it out of its place.

“You must really trust my taste in authors,” commented Aradia when Jade set the book down on the wooden counter. It was another Maryam novel, not as thick as the first but still of substantial length.

“It’s never failed me before!” Jade remarked as she took her beverage. “Thanks for the coffee, by the way.”

Aradia shook her head. “You don’t need to thank me every time. I enjoy it.”

\---

Of course the book Aradia had picked out was incredible. And so was the other by the same author. Jade hadn’t been able to put the books down all day, and by the time she’d finished, the sun had long since gone down. Full of excess energy once she finally stood up, she’d decided to go out on a walk with her dog (“Come on, Bec! Let’s go on an adventure together!”) because it just seemed like the logical thing to do, right?

That had been her reasoning. It had seemed perfectly sound at the time. She and Bec went on walks all the time!

Although those walks, admittedly, were usually when the sun was up.

They also were not usually several miles long.

They  _ also _ did not usually include Bec getting lost in the forest.

_ Running into the forest _ , Jade reminded herself.  _ Not getting lost. _ He wasn’t lost! Bec wasn’t lost. He would never get lost. Right? Right.

Repeating that sentiment (and things in a similar vein) to herself, Jade searched  _ very calmly _ through the forest. She was  _ not  _ anxious, because Bec was right around the corner.

“Bec? Bec! Come here, boy!” she yelled, voice relatively level. “I’m right here.  _ Becquerel _ !”

She paused. Crickets, a bit taunting, were the only voices she heard… until a faint, distant bark echoed from far back in the trees. Jade’s heart leapt. “Bec!”

Her feet moved too quickly, but she was too hopped up on adrenaline to care. Her dog was there; she just had to get to him quickly. So that’s what she did: she ran through the forest. The dark, pitch-black forest.

You really couldn’t blame her for not seeing that drop.

Jade felt her stomach drop as her foot fell straight through the ground, because there  _ was _ no ground. A sudden rocky overhang scarred the terrain, one that could almost be called a cliff if you hadn’t seen very impressive cliffs in your lifetime. Jade swore it’d never been there before.

But what it was didn’t matter, because the more pressing issue at hand was her  _ leg _ . It had made a very uncomfortable-sounding noise when she tumbled down, and it hurt. It hurt a lot.

Pressing a hand to her leg sent a sharp sting through her body, and she hissed as she quickly drew it away. It was warm and wet, which was probably not a good sign. The throbbing slices on various other parts of her body were not encouraging either; there had probably been some sharp rocks on the way down. Great.

Jade drew in a deep breath, trying to keep her composure. Okay. This was a bad situation. But if she could just get up and get to Bec…

She tried to stand. It didn’t work. She ended up back on the leaf-covered ground where she started.

“Bec?” Jade called again, weakly.

The only response was the night sky.

She stared up at the stars, tiny pinpricks of white light through the treetops. They were so far away. They were so  _ peaceful _ . The dots of light began to blur together as a dull pain throbbed in her head.

Then the dots abruptly went away, almost as if something — or some _ one _ _ — _ had stepped in front of them. Jade opened her mouth to form a question, but her breath left her body as something cold pricked her neck.

A jolt coursed through her veins, spreading through her limbs down to every last inch of her body. Jade gasped, then exhaled quickly as her breath left her body.

\---

“Oh! Hi, Rose.”

Rose’s face was stuck in a mixed expression of horror and incredulity as she stared at Jade. The delicate glass of water she was holding dropped and shattered on the ground, scattering crystalline shards everywhere with a tremendous  _ crash _ .

Jade turned back to the dog in the bathtub, whom she had been thoroughly scrubbing clean. “Bec, hold still! You don’t want to be covered in dirt, now do you…?”

“Jade.” Rose’s voice sounded more than a little strangled.

“Uh huh?”

“ _ Jade _ .”

“Oh. Yeah, sorry about all this. Bec got all dirty when he ran off into the forest, and —”

“ _ Jade Harley, you are covered in blood _ .”

Jade grimaced. “Yeah, it’s a long story…”

Rose took in a very long deep breath. Slowly, she approached the bathtub, gingerly kneeling down next to Jade. “Okay. Jade. I hate to ask this, but… did you murder someone.”

Jade’s looked horrified, as if that had been a ridiculous conclusion to come to, despite her incredibly suspicious appearance. “No! No, no, of course I didn’t!”

Rose nodded, slow and disbelieving. “And you’re not hurt.”

“No.” Jade shook her head, then flashed her roommate a wide grin. “I’m totally alright!”

That only seemed to unnerve Rose more; her violet eyes widened. Jade frowned, fingers lacing together. “I really am okay, Rose. I’m not hurt. And I didn’t hurt anybody, I promise! I just… some stuff happened. And—”

“This isn’t a prank, right? If this is some elaborate prank, I commend you.”

“Huh? No, that’s… that’s June’s thing.”

Rose blinked. “Are you  _ aware _ , Jade,” she said slowly, “that you have fangs?”

Jade brought a hand up to her teeth, feeling for her canines. Her finger came back with a single bead of red. “Huh.”

Rose stared, eyes demanding an explanation.

“Yeah, I think I’m a vampire now. Isn’t that crazy?” Jade giggled, going back to scrubbing Bec’s fur.

“Okay.” Rose’s voice was steady, but much higher than her usual calm tone. She stood up slowly. “Assuming that this isn’t all staged somehow… not only are vampires more than just mythological beings, but  _ you _ have suddenly become one. If what we’ve presumed to be legend is true, this means that you were  _ bitten by a vampire _ . Am I correct?”

Jade nodded. “Yeah, that sounds about right. I think I was saved, actually.” She gestured to her clothes, still ripped and red. “I fell from a pretty high place in the forest, and I think I got pretty messed up. It’s… foggy. But I think someone found me, and that someone happened to be… you know, and now I’m here. With no wounds.”

Rose drew in another shaky breath. “I’m going to try to go along with this for now, then save the crises for later on. Because right now I think your well-being is rather important.” She gestured at Jade’s body. “You said your wounds are just gone?”

“I know, right? I didn’t even know that was part of the deal! But, look.” She held up the finger that she’d pricked on her fang. Once she wiped away the tiny smear of dried blood, it was impossible to see that there had ever been an injury there.

Rose coughed. Her face seemed a little drained of color, which was ironic seeing as Jade was the actual vampire here.

“Look,” Jade sighed. “I know this is bad. I know this is going to be super weird and hard and dangerous. I’m not  _ that  _ naïve.” She stood up. “But I think it might be good for everyone if we try to see the good in this.”

“The good,” Rose repeated. “Of course. I mean, you’re alive, for starters. That’s pretty good in my eyes.”

Jade nodded. “Good start! And I think we should go further.”

“Which means?”

“Which means that I think we should figure out what I can do.”

Rose’s eyes flashed. “You have a point.”

“Wait, really?” Jade smirked. “Didn’t think you’d give in that easy.”

“I’m full of surprises,” Rose replied, deadpan. “First I want to know if you sparkle.”

“Huh?”

“If you sparkle,” she repeated. “In the sunlight. I want to know whether or not Twilight is a reputable source.”

Jade turned to the window. The sky was painted pink and orange as the sun began to rise above the horizon, sending glowing rays of light out over the trees. She nodded firmly. “I’m not sure, but I’m about to find out.”

\---

The sun did have an effect on her skin, but it was admittedly less flashy than she’d hoped. Only about a minute after she’d stepped outside, Jade had begun to feel itchy and uncomfortable, like tiny needles were pricking her every pore. It was only then that she realized how abnormally cold she had been, because the direct sunlight warmed her up almost instantly. She didn’t remain at a comfortable body temperature, though, because as soon as she felt warm again, that sensation morphed into overheating. Jade felt like her whole body was made of dry twigs that were ready to explode into flame at any moment.

Jade burst into the apartment, grimacing as her skin oh-so-slowly turned back to its normal state. She slammed the door behind her.

"Rose," she gasped. "Twilight lied."

Rose shook her head sadly. "Damn it."


	2. experimentation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jade was going to figure out the whole blood thing, she really was. She was just… postponing it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> rose had a twilight phase and she is trying her hardest not to let that side of her win over

Jade was going to figure out the whole blood thing, she really was. She was just… postponing it.

She and Rose had decided to explore her new form. They set out to run some experiments, which gave them a plethora of new information. Rose had insisted that they find out as much as possible  _ by themselves _ rather than by trusting vampire literature, as it had become apparent that it wasn’t very reliable as far as accuracy was concerned. So far, they’d come up with a considerable list, starting with the first and most obvious point:

1) Jade was dead.

She had no pulse, no heartbeat. It was an unpleasant feeling to put two fingers to her neck or wrist and feel nothing whatsoever. The pounding of blood through her veins was a distant memory now.

During that realization, Jade hadn’t been able to keep up the cheerful attitude like she’d been able to earlier. Anyone would have been shaken by the fact that they’d died. And though she had no heartbeat anymore, Jade sure as hell was still someone. Rose had placed a hand over her shoulders, and the touch had grounded her a bit. Its warmth had, however, drawn attention once again to Jade’s dramatic change in body temperature, because…

2) She was  _ cold _ .

Seriously, it was kind of annoying. Probably because of the lack of, you know, a pulse, Jade’s skin felt like ice. She had a feeling that she would be much more prone to wearing layers from now on.

“I could really go for a hot drink right now,” she mused, shivering slightly. This would definitely take some getting used to.

“I can make some tea,” Rose suggested, opening the bathroom door. Bec (Jade had almost forgotten he was in the bathtub) barked happily, bounding out in front of her.

Jade jolted upright. “Aradia’ll be expecting me! I always come by her shop before noon.”

Rose sighed. “Do you really think it’s the best idea to go out in public right now? You have no idea what you can do yet, or what various things can do  _ to you _ .” And yeah, she had a point. It was irresponsible.

But she had to return the books to Aradia. And besides, she always looked forward to stopping by the bookstore. She kind of felt like seeing her friend was exactly what she needed to calm her in this stressful ( _it’s more than stressful, it’s terrifying, you’re dead, you’re a vampire_ —) situation.

And she really didn’t want Aradia to worry about her. Because she was a vampire, obviously. She was going to have to live a life of secrecy or whatever.

No other reason!

“Jade?” Oh, Rose had been awaiting a response, hadn’t she. Jade exhaled shortly, then turned to look her in the eyes.

“I’m going to go see Aradia,” she stated. Rose sighed.

“At least get out of those clothes.” She paused, thinking. “Probably burn them or something. Don’t want to get us arrested for murder.”

Jade had forgotten that she was still in her disturbingly rust-colored shirt and jeans. She supposed she was still getting used to the whole  _ inconspicuous vampire _ thing. She should probably start to notice things like that. “Help me with clothes?”

“You don’t even need to ask.”

\---

They’d ended up putting Jade in a ball cap (the brim shielded her face from the sun well enough to deter that horrible prickly burning sensation for a while) and a light jacket that didn’t look too suspicious for summer. It had pockets, too, which was nice; Jade could keep her hands in those rather than wearing gloves to keep the sun off. Rose accompanied her along the short walk to the coffee shop, occasionally expressing her concerns (“I recognize that it’s a lost cause telling you to turn back now, but this really is risky if you want to protect yourself.”)

Jade took her hands out of her pockets as soon as she and Rose walked through the door. From behind the counter, Aradia looked up at the jingle of the bell. She smiled softly at Jade, then looked over to Rose. “Who’s this?”

Rose nodded politely. “Rose Lalonde, Jade’s roommate. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.” She glanced over at Jade. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“Hey—” Jade cut in, but Aradia just smiled wider, so she shut up.

“I’m going to be browsing over there…” Rose waved a hand at the back of the shop where the books were. “So just tell me when you’re ready to go.” She left Jade’s side to explore the store.

Jade hopped up to the counter, taking both books out of her bag and setting them in front of her. “The books were  _ amazing _ , Aradia! Like… the author really does have a way with words. It’s amazing.”

Aradia nodded vigorously, placing both her hands on the counter next to the books. “I know, right? Maryam’s incredible! She’s so good at channeling emotion into her writing. It makes the immersion top-notch.”

“And there was a dog.” Jade gasped. “Wait, did you say the protagonist reminded you of me because she had a dog?”

Aradia looked off to the side sheepishly. “Well, yeah, that was part of the reason. But… she’s also super brave and smart, and… I don’t know. She’s just kind of like you.”

Did Aradia just compliment her through a book character? Jade grinned. She tapped the second book she’d picked out yesterday, the blue one. “Well… I think the main character in  _ this _ book was you, then.”

Aradia raised her eyebrows. “Oh?”

“She’s a huge dork!” cackled Jade, flicking her finger up from the book to poke Aradia’s nose.

“Oh, you’re one to talk!” laughed Aradia. “Look, the girl in the first book thought a cat was her dog once.”

“Only because she was super far away!”

“It still happened.”

“Oh, whatever.” Jade leaned over the counter. “I want to know what you picked out for me today!”

Aradia reached down, pulling out another old-looking book, this one an emerald green. “I saw you were interested in Maryam’s books, so I remembered this. It’s… autobiographical, I guess. Her journal entries, letters, and even just things she’s written about her life. She published it right before her death. It’s a really amazing glimpse into what her life was like.”

Jade pushed her glasses up on her face, admiring the book. It had no title, just the name  _ Porrim Maryam _ scrawled elegantly across the cover. Perhaps that was the title, too. She looked up at Aradia. “This looks incredible. I’ll read it tonight.”

“You don’t have to rush,” Aradia pointed out. Her red-painted lips curved into a small smile. “It’s long, and I find it better to just absorb everything. Just tell me whenever you’ve finished reading.”

“Good point.” Jade lifted the book—wow, it was heavy—and tucked it safely into her bag. Her throat itched, and the warmth of the sun had worn off by now; she was beginning to feel that numbing cold settle over her again, reminding her harshly of the reality of her transformation. She remembered why she’d come here in the first place. She desperately needed a hot drink. “Hey, I’m dying for some coffee here.”

“Yes! Of course.” Aradia gave her one last grin, then turned to brew her coffee as was the daily routine.

Jade glanced over her shoulder to check on Rose, who had already gathered a formidable stack of books which she was holding with one arm. The whole arrangement looked a little precarious.

Surveying the room, she saw only one other customer: a woman with short, dark hair with a book open in front of her. But she wasn’t looking at the book, Jade realized. She was staring straight at Jade. They locked eyes, and Jade felt a sharp chill run down her already cold spine. She shivered.

Jade quickly turned back to Aradia, who was humming to herself as she made the drink. She would confront the suspicious customer if she kept up the staring, she decided. Or not. Maybe she suspected something. If that was the case, it was probably best not to escalate things that didn’t need to be escalated.

Aradia turned around, setting the steaming cup of coffee down gently on the counter. Jade took it, placing the money in its place. She  _ needed _ this. She wasn’t sure she’d ever been so parched in her life.

“Thank you so much,” Jade told her friend. “I really needed your coffee today.”

“Of course,” Aradia said, eyes softening. “Anytime.”

Suddenly, Rose popped up from behind, setting down a huge stack of books with a  _ thump _ .

“I think I should come here more often,” she said. Jade agreed.

As Aradia got to work checking out the mountain of books Rose had picked out, Jade hesitantly looked back at the woman in the corner. It didn’t seem like she’d turned a single page of her book since the last time Jade checked. And she was still  _ staring _ .

Jade bit her tongue and turned again. Maybe she could just ignore her until she and Rose left the store. Muttering to herself, she brought her coffee to her lips and took a long sip.

It didn’t taste like coffee at all.

Jade coughed, looking down at her drink in confusion. It still looked and smelled like the coffee she’d been ordering for months. Aradia had made it the same way she always did, with the same beans and machine and everything. But it didn’t taste like anything at all.

It was hot, sure. It (at least partially) drove away the cold in her bones. But it only tasted like heat, and nothing else. And, unfortunately, it didn’t quench her thirst, either. Each mouthful only made her throat feel drier.

After Rose had finished buying her mini library of books and Jade had left with her (not without a worried glance at the customer, who was  _ still watching _ ), she’d explained her predicament. Rose had suggested they test out food, too. The two of them had rushed back home, and Jade grabbed an apple and sunk her pointy teeth in, and lo and behold, they had another item to add to the list:

3) Food and drink would not satisfy her.

The apple tasted like sand. Jade spat it out, wiping the juice from her lips.

“This sucks,” she groaned. “I  _ like _ fruit. And coffee!”

Rose sighed. “I suppose we shouldn’t try garlic, then.”

“Well… maybe just a little.”

They conveniently had some leftover garlic bread from when Rose had dramatically declared that she lacked the mental and physical energy to make food and just ordered a pizza. Jade took a tentative bite, and—

4) Garlic doesn’t kill her, but should still be avoided at all costs.

Her tongue felt like it was on fire. Jade spluttered, immediately filling a glass of tap water more quickly than any living (or nonliving) being ever had before. She drank it all in one gulp ( _ it tasted disgusting, her throat hurt so much _ ) and slammed the empty glass on the counter. Taking a deep breath, she turned to Rose.

“No garlic.”

Rose nodded. “If you can’t eat or drink anything… we have to face this at some point, Jade.”

Jade sighed, long and shuddering.

5) She needed blood.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> comment kudos whatever all that
> 
> i will write more of this soon because it's fun


	3. predation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Common sense told her that this was not a good thing, not at all. But, well, Jade Harley was a vampire now. And vampiric intuition has a tendency to override common sense at times.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kanaya has really taken the whole "dark, brooding, overdramatic vampire" thing to heart and we're here for it

Jade was thirsty, and she hated it.

Well, it was more than a thirst. It was more like every cell in her body was screaming out for  _ blood _ , and that screaming was echoing in her brain incessantly until she felt like she had to do anything to stop it. And she’d had headaches before, sure, but… this was like a headache on steroids. Her brain  _ throbbed _ with pulsing waves of pain.

Which was why she was out at night, walking aimlessly through the city.

But she really didn’t want to hurt anybody. She wasn’t the type to prey on innocent people, and she really didn’t want to become that way. Which was why she wasn’t making any moves.

She was at a stalemate with herself.

Jade surveyed the streets in front of her. Her vision, especially at night, had really improved since she was turned. She could see exactly what hid in every shadow, which was a really good skill for a predatory creature.  _ Which I guess is what I am now _ .

Sighing, Jade set off down the street again. She wasn’t going to attack anyone, she just needed time to think. Her footsteps barely made a sound.

She was at the corner that had seemed so far away much sooner than what seemed possible. She was just walking, right? She hadn’t been trying to run or anything. Jade made a mental note to investigate this point further with Rose come morning. Well, if she didn’t starve come morning.

Just as she began to turn the corner, something intensely powerful hit her like a bus.

She sensed it, smelled it, knew  _ exactly _ where and what it was without even looking. Jade suddenly found it much, much harder to resist the animalistic instincts that she’d been repressing all day.

It was blood. Down in that creepy, suspicious alleyway, someone was bleeding.

Common sense told her that this was not a good thing, not at all. But, well, Jade Harley was a vampire now. And vampiric intuition has a tendency to override common sense at times.

Jade realized that she could  _ definitely _ move more quickly than a regular human, because she felt her body lunge at the scent before she even saw. Something in her mind propelled her feet with so much force that she was sent flying, teeth out and claws (since when did she have those?) extended.

Even with a red haze over her vision and with her body out of her own control, she knew that the person she latched onto wasn’t the bleeding one. Instead, she felt herself crash into a tall, muscular figure that would have been  _ intimidating as hell _ had Jade not been in starved-vampire-mode.

In the heat of the moment, she tried to think straight, but she felt like the beginnings of coherent thought were instantly swept away in a hurricane of red. Even if she wasn’t attached to the already-bleeding person, she was so close to the warmth that she could  _ feel _ radiating from beneath the skin, the warmth that she already missed from her own body… it was too much.

She brought her head down and, well, went for the neck.

It was as if Jade was sucking her very life and soul back into her body. Never had she imagined that blood would be so refreshing, but she realized that it wasn’t even the taste. Actually, she could barely even taste it; what preoccupied her mind was the way it refilled her with energy, fueling her body and sending electric shocks through her veins. There was still a metallic tang in her mouth, though.

Then Jade was thrust back into reality with an unpleasant jolt when whoever she was drinking from shoved her off and sent her slamming hard against the wall behind her. She hissed, and was taken aback by how feline it sounded. Was that a vampire thing? Yeah, that was probably a vampire thing.

Her vision was a little clearer now, and she was beginning to get her brain back again. Looking up, she saw the towering man she’d apparently  _ attacked _ , _ holy shit _ staring down at her.

Jade gritted her teeth, ready to fight, then looked closer and saw he looked terrified.

Oh, right. She’d been absolutely consumed by her newfound vampiric instincts, but Jade realized that it was probably pretty important not to be caught doing… vampire things. Drinking some stranger’s blood was almost definitely a vampire thing.

“What the hell  _ are _ you?” the man whispered in a shaky voice.

Jade pursed her lips. “A… perfectly normal citizen?”

He scowled. “You’re sick,” he spat, then turned and ran—man, did this guy have super speed too?—out onto the street, vanishing out of sight.

Jade leaned her head back against the wall, drawing a long breath and feeling her body relax as she let it out.

“Hey.”

The tension rushed back into her body as she snapped her head back up. Someone had seen, hadn’t they?

“Um… thanks.” The person across the alleyway was standing now, wrapped in a dark coat. Without her night vision, Jade definitely wouldn’t have been able to see that it was torn at one of the sleeves. Specks of dark blood soaked the area, and she realized that this was what drew her to the scene in the first place. If she hadn’t just drank from that guy, she probably wouldn’t have been able to push down the intrusive urges that had just flared up in the pit of her stomach again. “Thanks for… whatever you just did. You saved me.”

Jade cleared her throat. “Uh, yeah. I mean—I didn’t mean to—I mean, my pleasure.” She needed to stop talking. She had no idea if this random person had put the pieces together yet or not, but she didn’t want to straight up give herself away before they outright said it.

“No, really. I would have been a goner if you hadn’t jumped in.” The person in the coat laughed sheepishly, clutching their arm. “Never thought I’d be mugged in a dark, creepy alleyway.”

“Is your arm okay?” Jade blurted out.

“He just grazed me. I’ll be fine.”

“Yeah.” She wet her lips. She needed to get away soon; the scent of blood (she could smell it a lot more clearly now) was distracting, and she didn’t want to do something impulsive before she could get herself back under control. “That’s good. You should, uh… get back home. And avoid dark, creepy alleyways.”

They laughed again, this time more genuine. “I can do that. See you.”

Jade nodded.  _ Hopefully you won’t _ , she thought as she watched that dark coat vanish from sight.

She stayed in the alley for a while. It wasn’t that she was tired (she didn’t really  _ get _ tired anymore, and besides, she was actually feeling pretty damn invigorated after that drink). It’s just… her mind was catching up to her, and the way her body had moved on its own was kinda freaky, actually. Jade didn’t like being out of her own control. She supposed that while vampirism came with a bunch of pretty cool powers, it also came with major drawbacks.

Maybe she could control herself more if she learned how. But that would probably take practice, and practice meant attacking more people, probably in creepy alleys again, and Jade didn’t exactly want that life for the rest of eternity. Shit, she was immortal now, wasn’t she? She was gonna have to work out the whole  _ undead _ thing sometime when she—

“I don’t mean to interrupt your ruminating, but I need to talk to you.”

Jade cursed, jumping up with a start. How had someone snuck up on her? No one ever snuck up on her now! She could hear everyone coming! She took a guarded stance, glaring at whoever had just  _ materialized  _ next to her, and—

Of all people.

“I do not want to hurt you,” the woman from the back of the bookstore said in a calm, elegant voice.

Jade groaned inwardly. On the one hand… this person really was stalking her, it seemed, and that was more than mildly concerning. But on the other, she could learn more about this weirdo if she played her cards right. She relaxed her body slightly, still ready to fight back if she got attacked.

The woman raised her chin, looking down at Jade (wow, she was  _ tall _ ) through glowing eyes. She—

Wait, glowing eyes?

Jade suddenly knew what that inhuman shiver she’d felt earlier meant. It was a connection. “You’re one of them,” she breathed, eyes widening in awe.

She got a single nod in response. “I came to apologize, but it seems I’m needed for more than just that now.”

“Apologize?” For what, stalking her? Because yeah, that was a bit creepy, but now that there was the whole vampire thing to take into account, creepy didn’t seem like that much of a problem anymore.

“For turning you.”

Jade raised her eyebrows. Wait.  _ This _ was the person—vampire—who bit her that night in the forest? “Wait. Why are you sorry? You saved my life! And yeah, now there are things like garlic and sun and the whole  _ blood _ thing, but… I’m not dead ‘cause of you.”

The vampire grimaced. “I never saved your life. I ended it.”

“I’m still here talking, though. That’s pretty cool!”

“If ‘cool’ is all you care about,” the woman hissed (yeah, the hissing was  _ definitely _ a vampire thing), “then you are unfit to be a vampire.”

Being scolded by another vampire on her attitude was  _ not _ how Jade expected this night to go. She set her jaw. “Then teach me how to be a better vampire.”

That earned her a half-grin. “That is what I came here to do, yes.”

“Am I good enough to learn who you are yet?”

“I suppose I can provide at least that much,” she sighed, dropping down from the side of the wall that she’d been perching on. Jade hadn’t even realized she’d been standing on the side of a brick wall. Maybe she could learn to do that herself one day. That’d really freak Rose out. “Kanaya Maryam.”

Wait. She’d heard that surname before. “Maryam?”

Kanaya cocked her head ever-so-slightly. “Are you familiar with the name?”

Jade nodded vigorously. “Yeah. Yeah! Do you know of someone named Porrim Maryam?”

Kanaya smiled fondly, looking off into the distance as if remembering something. “Of course I know her. She was my sister.”

Jade gasped, a bit louder than she’d intended. “Wait,  _ seriously _ ?”

“Why would I lie?”

“No, wait—her books are, like… top-notch! I’m reading a copy of her  _ autobiography _ , and you mean to tell me you—you’re  _ sisters _ ?”

“Of course.”

“No, like… wait.” Jade turned to stare directly into Kanaya’s eyes. “Wait, is she a vampire too? Is she still  _ alive _ ? Do you know where she—”

“She is not,” Kanaya responded curtly. Jade realized how fast she’d been talking, and averted her eyes, feeling her face heat up slightly.

“Sorry,” she mumbled. Kanaya laughed softly at that, which made Jade look up again quickly.

“You don’t need to apologize. Humans have short lives. In a way, they’re lucky.”

Jade stared incredulously. “ _ Lucky _ ? How?”

“You clearly don’t yet know the pain of immortality,” Kanaya replied cryptically. Jade sighed. Clearly she wasn’t going to get a straightforward answer by pushing the subject.

“So… are you from, like, the 1800s then? If you and Porrim were sisters.” Jade fidgeted absently with her fingers.

Kanaya gave an affirming smirk. “I’m quite young for a vampire. Not as young as you, however. Even if I  _ wasn’t  _ the one who turned you, it would be rather obvious, seeing as you…” She eyed Jade up and down. Her gaze was quietly intimidating. “...clearly have no idea what you’re doing.”

“Hey!” Jade scowled indignantly. Though, Kanaya did have a point. She was very much unused to her new abilities, and she needed to find a way to get the whole bloodthirsty thing under control. “I mean… you  _ are _ way more experienced with this stuff. Obviously. So, I guess… I think you should help me out.” Jade shook her head. “Actually, I’m begging you:  _ please _ help me out. I… I really need it.”

Kanaya brushed a lock of hair out of her face, and wow, she even managed to make  _ that _ look suave and intimidating. Jade wasn’t sure if that was a vampire thing or just a Kanaya thing. Maybe it was a Maryam thing. “Meet me here tomorrow night,” Kanaya told her. “We must not be seen.”

“I mean, if we don’t wanna hang out in a dark alley, you could always come back to my apartment,” Jade pointed out. “You could help me and Rose—”

Kanaya went rigid. “You told someone?”

“Um.” Jade averted her eyes. “Only my roommate. And she’s keeping the secret! She’d never tell anyone. Actually, I think you two would get along pretty well—” She was cut off by a sudden blur of movement, and before she could blink, Kanaya had her pinned against the wall, snarling like a cat with her fangs exposed.

“ _ Do not tell anyone _ ,” she growled, almost animalistically. “We cannot let  _ anyone _ discover us.”

Perhaps Jade had underestimated the importance of not being seen.

“I won’t,” Jade gasped. Kanaya had a hand on her throat, and although she was kind of already dead, Jade felt like she was going to suffocate if this kept up. “I wasn’t even going to!”

Kanaya released her. Jade coughed. Mentally, she decided that the overdramatic demeanor was probably just a Maryam thing.

“Rose only knows because she found me after I got turned,” Jade explained, keeping her voice level. “She helped me. She really means no harm, I promise.”

Kanaya narrowed her eyes. She analyzed Jade with that withering stare once again, and Jade felt as if her brain was being pried apart by those eyes. She shivered.

“I think it is best if I meet your roommate,” Kanaya finally said slowly. “I shall see for myself if you’re telling the truth.”

Jade grinned nervously. “Sounds like a plan.”

“Don’t attack anyone else while I’m gone.”

“Yeah, of course—” Jade stopped. Where Kanaya had stood only seconds ago was nothing but the shadows of the old garbage cans that littered the alley.

Jade decided that yeah, that was definitely a vampire thing. She should really be writing all these down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there will be more aradia in the next few chapters i promise

**Author's Note:**

> if you enjoyed, please leave a comment or kudos or maybe even both if you're feeling crazy
> 
> i love jaderadia and you can thank my one irl homestuck friend for that


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